Bucking machine for football players



E. E. BRETT Original Filed Feb. 26, 1924 BUCKING MACHINE FOR FOOTBALLPLAYERS June 10, 1930.

Patented June 10, 1930 STATES ERNEST E. BRETT, OF CORAL GABLES, FLORIDABUCKING MACHINE FOB, FOOTBALL PLAYERS Refile of abandoned applicationSerial No. 695,273, filed. February 26, 1924. This application filedSeptember 12, 1929.

This application is a refile for applicants abandoned application,Serial No. 695,273, filed February 26, 1924.

This invention relates to machines used for football players, and knownas bucking machines, adapted for use in training football players.

An object of the invention resides in providing a frame having theforward and rear ends thereof open and mounting a plurality of buckingplates for rocking movement on uprights secured in the frame, resilientmeans being provided for retaining the bucking plates in a normalposition in the frame, for

. obstructing the passage through the same, in

order to provide a means of resisting charging of a football playerthrough the frame and between the bucking plates to simulate theresistance offered in charging a line in playing a football game, forthe purpose of acquainting the player with the condition normallyresisting his advance in play.

Another object of the invention is to hingedly mount a plurality ofbucking plates in a suitable housing and leaving a restricted passagebetween the plates through saic housing,the plates being arranged sothat some of the plates will engage the hips of a player, while theother plates are positioned to engage the shoulder of the player,incharging through the machine, in order to offer resistance at theshoulder and. hip portion to the charge of the player through themachine. I

The invention also includes other objects and advantages in the detailsof construction and arrangement of the parts, which are moreparticularly pointed out in the following description and claims,directed to a prefer-red form of the invention, it being understood,however, that variations may be made within the scope of the descriptionand claims, as hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings, forming a part of this application:

Figure 1 is a view of the front end of the charging machine.

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof, and, Figure 3 is a sectional view,on the line 594 3-3 of Figure 1.

Serial No. 392,277.

The bucking machines includes a base 1, a top 2, connected to the baseby the corner post 3, adapted to form the main frame of the machinewhich is reinforced at the forward and rear end by diagonal bracingmembers l, and at opposite sides by the diagonal bracing members 5. Itwill be noted that the bracing members at are arranged at the topportion of the frame, so as to not obstruct a free passage between thefront and rear thereof, which remains open, while the bracing memhere 5at the side portions of the frame eX- tend diagonally from the uppercorners to the lower corners, so that a substantially light frame workis provided, what at the same time is sufficiently strong to withstandstrain to which it is subjected, so that a convenient type of buckingmachine is provided which may be readily transported from place toplace, and secured by any suitable anchoring means extending through thebase for holding the same in position while in use.

A pair of horizontal side members 6 and 7 are mounted in each side ofthe frame of the machine, and a pair of bucking frames indicated at 8,are mounted in vertical spaced relation between and adjacent the sidesof the frame. These bucking frames include upper and lower horizontalbars 9 and 10 respectively, adapted to be secured to the top and bottomof the main frame, the bars being connected by a plurality of spaceduprights 11, for a purpose to be described.

A plurality of bucking plates indicated at 12, are hingedly connected tothe uprights in the central portions as indicated at 13, there beingthree bucking plates at oppos te sides of the frame, one secured to eachof the three bars, and in line with the hips of the player chargingthrough the frame, in order to engage and resist the player at the hipportion, while two plates 12 are secured above the three plates and inline on the last or rear two of the uprights, in line with the shoulderof the player, adapted to engage and resist the passage of the player athis shoulder through the mach ne.

These plates will be hereinafter mentioned as hip bucking plates andshoulder bucking plates, it being noted that there are no shoulders onthe forward upright, in view of the fact that the player in charging themachine is inclined forwardly so that his shoulders and hips will engagethe shoulder plates of the second upright, while his hips will engagethe hip plates on the first upright at substantially the same time.

It will be noted that the uprights are square in cross section, havingthe sides arratg'ed'in angular relation inthe frame, in order to providea stop for the movement of the buck ing plates 12, so that theyare'positioned in inclined relation in the frame, the plates atthebpposite' sides thereof being inclinedrelatively inwardly andrearwa'r'dly as shown in igure 3, and normally held in this position bytension springs '14, secured to the side bars 6 and Y, and to theforward end of the buckingplates 12, in any desirable manner.

, It is to be understood that the positioning of the bucking frame 8Carrying the plates 12 may be positioned in any desirable relationwithin the frame, and are adaptable to be changed to vary the spacingthereof for increasing the difficulty or resistance to a playenchargingthrough the machine. It is also to be understood, that if desired, agreater number of uprights may be placed in the bucking frame, with acorrespondingly greater number of bucking plates, in order to increasethe resistance of passage to a player chargingthe machine. I

From the foregoing description, it; will be clear that a simple andeflicientcharging m achine has been provided for the use of foot ballplayers in training preparatory to a football game, which will gave acharacter of'resistance to simulate that experienced in charging a linein playing a football game. ,7 The player will charge through thecentral portion of the frame, from the forward, toward the rear endthereof, so that the shoulders and hips will'engage the ends of theplates extending into the central portion of the passage which willeffect amovement of the plates about the hinges 13, as the player passesthrough the machine which will be resisted by the operation of thesprings 14:.

It'will'thus be seen'that a novel form'of bucking machine has beenprovided'for foot ball players, adapted for training purposes, and whichis simple in construction, as well as sufliciently light to make itreadily portable from place to place, when'it is desired to use thesame.

frames being adjustable toward or away from each other, and a pluralityof bucking plates movably mounted on one of said bucking frames, andresisting means connected to said bucking plates and the first mentionedframe adapted for resisting the movement of the plates in the frame,whereby a foot ball player charging through the frame is engaged by saidbucking plate and resisted in his passage therethrough.

2. A bucking machine including a main frame having a top portion and abase portion arranged in spaced relation and connected by a corner postat the corner portion thereof, diagonal bracing means secured to "saidcorner post and extending diagonally therebetween for cooperation tostrengthen the main frame structure, side members arranged in spacedparallel relation between the uprights at each side of the main frame, apair of bucking frames arranged in vertical relation in said main frameand spaced relative to one another to provide a passage therebetween,one of said bucking frames'ineluding a pairof end bars connected to thetop and the base of said main frame, and adapted for adjustmenttojincrease or decrease the passage therebetween, said bars beingconnected by a plurality of spaced up rights, a plurality of buckingplates hingedly mounted intermediate their ends on said uprights,certain of said plates-being arranged inhorizontal alignment on saiduprights to form hip engagementplates, and the remainder of said platesbeing arranged in horizontal alignment on said uprights to form shoulderplates, the bucking plates being limited in their hinging movement, andresilient members connected to respective ,bucking plates and anchoredto said side members for holding said. plates against the limit ofmovement, said plates inclining inwardly and rearwardly at the limit ofmovement for restricting the passage between thebuclring frames, wherebythe football player charging the machine will have his shoulders andhips engaged by the shoulder and hip bucking plates respect-ivelyforresisting his charge through the machine.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

ERNEST E. BRETT.

